DOHA, Qatar | With the start of the World Cup knockout phase, things got down to business this week. Logic was respected in almost all duels, except perhaps for Morocco’s nice surprise victory over Spain. In the quarter-finals we are entitled to almost dreamlike clashes and maybe even a final before the final. Let’s take a closer look.
• Also read: Soccer World Cup: Historic victory for Morocco against Spain
• Also read: World Cup: Portugal under the aura of Ronaldo
Croatia v. Brazil
Photo: AFP
Vinicius Junior, Lucas Paqueta and Neymar celebrate a Brazil goal against South Korea.
Friday 10 a.m
Brazil
group stage
- Brazil 2 Serbia 0
- Brazil 1 Switzerland 0
- Cameroon 1 Brazil 0
round of 16
- Brazil 4 Korea Republic 1
to see players
- Richarlison 3 goals
- Vinicius Junior 1 goal 2 assists
- Neymar 1 goal
Croatia
group stage
- Morocco 0 Croatia 0
- Croatia 4 Canada 1
- Croatia 0 Belgium 0
round of 16
- Japan 1 (1) Croatia 1 (3)
to see players
- Andrei Kramaric 2 goals
- Ivan Perisic 1 goal 2 assists
- Dominik Livakovic 2 goals against 9 saves
These are two opposing philosophies. The Croatians consistently focus on defensive play and control of midfield. They have only conceded two goals in four games since the start of the tournament. The Brazilians have only conceded twice, but in their opinion the best defense is still attack. They eloquently demonstrated that in their round of 16 match against South Korea, scoring four goals in the first half and continuously attacking in threes to bury the Koreans, who couldn’t do anything about it.
Croatians are rough, rough, like life in the Balkans. Will they be able to use their strength to slow and disrupt the Brazilians? It’s a question to ponder, especially as Neymar, who suffered a sprained ankle in the group stage, proved earlier this week he had no repercussions and was in full possession of his means. The Croatians were runners-up four years ago and if they want to repeat the same journey they need to find a way to keep the Brazilian striker away from Dominik Livakovic’s box. Against the Koreans, the Seleção players had too easy access to that part of the pitch and that’s where they shine, whether the spaces are small or large. If Croatia can remain compact, we risk a very close duel.
Netherlands v. Argentina
Photo: AFP
Andries Noppert
Friday 2 p.m
Netherlands
group stage
- Senegal 0 Netherlands 2
- Netherlands 1 Ecuador 1
- Netherlands 2 Qatar 0
round of 16
to see players
- Andries Noppert 2 goals against 15 saves 2 shutouts
- Cody Gakpo 3 goals
- Denzel Dumfries 1 goal 2 assists
Argentina
group stage
- Argentina 1 Saudi Arabia 2
- Argentina 2 Mexico 0
- Poland 0 Argentina 2
round of 16
to see players
- Lionel Messi 3 goals 1 assist
- Julian Alvarez 2 goals
- Enzo Fernandez 1 goal 1 assist
Argentina is the helm of Lionel Messi, who has lost none of his splendor despite being 35 years old. This is probably his last chance to win the World Cup and he is aware of it. He came close as a finalist in 2014 and experienced disappointment four years ago when he failed in the round of 16. The Argentines raised doubts as they were beaten by Saudi Arabia in the start of the tournament’s biggest upset. They were quite convincing then but goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez needs to be reassuring in a game where he risks being more reassuring.
For the Netherlands it’s a bit like the tournament starting now that they’ve been tested but not fully yet. They were effective both offensively and defensively, leaving almost nothing to their opponents. Andries Noppert is in full swing in goal and it will be interesting to see how he fares against an elite striker. After failing to qualify in Russia after finishing third in Brazil in 2014 and second in South Africa four years earlier, it’s a redemption tournament for them.
Morocco v. Portugal
Photo: AFP
Montreal-born Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou
Saturday 10 a.m
Morocco
group stage
- Morocco 0 Croatia 0
- Belgium 0 Morocco 2
- Canada 1 Morocco 2
round of 16
- Morocco 0 (3) Spain 0 (0)
to see players
- Yassine Bounou 1 goal enabled 2 shutouts
- Hakim Ziyech 1 goal 1 assist
- Sofiane Boufal 4 shots
Portugal
group stage
- Portugal 3 Ghana 2
- Portugal 2 Uruguay 0
- South Korea 2 Portugal 1
round of 16
to see players
- Bruno Fernandes 2 goals 3 assists
- Gonçalo Ramos 3 goals 1 assist
- Joao Felix 1 goal 2 assists
It’s a more than interesting duel between two diametrically opposed teams. On the one hand we have Morocco, who have conceded just one goal in four games. And again it was an own goal against Canada. Yassine Bounou has been perfect so far. He didn’t even give up in the penalty shoot-out against Spain in the round of 16. The Moroccans believe in it and are determined. Above all, they have shown impeccable defensive discipline so far and we want to see how far they can take that. They’re breaking new ground as this is their first appearance in their history in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. They’ve got Morocco behind them, but also the whole Arab world and Africa and that can really heat up a stadium.
The Portuguese have been producing fireworks in attack for two weeks now, producing 12 goals in four games. And all this despite the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo misses his tournament, which in his case may be the last chance. He was even substituted on against Switzerland a few days ago. Portugal will certainly put Morocco’s impressive defensive machine to the test, which will give us a clash that will be either very interesting or very disappointing. The question is whether we deserve a game of chess. If so, we’ll have fun.
England v. France
Photo: AFP
Harry Maguire and Harry Kane
Saturday 2 p.m
England
group stage
- England 6 Iran 2
- England 0 United States 0
- Wales 0 England 3
round of 16
to see players
- Bukayo Saka 3 goals
- Marcus Rashford 3 goals
- Harry Kane 1 goal 3 assists
France
group stage
- France 4 Australia 1
- France 2 Denmark 1
- Tunisia 1 France 0
round of 16
to see players
- Kylian Mbappe 5 goals 2 assists
- Olivier Giroud 3 goals
- Ousmane Dembele 2 assists
We mentioned the possibility of a final before the final, we talked about that. It’s a pity to know that at the end of this meeting one of the two most interesting teams of the tournament will go home. On the one hand the Blues who want to defend their world title, on the other hand the Three Lions who have been waiting for a big title since 1966 know who will emerge victorious as both teams have played well since the beginning of the tournament. On the one hand you have England, who have three shutouts in four games and also scored a lot of goals, and on the other hand you have France, who are methodical and efficient in all aspects of the game.
Certainly the Blues have the advantage of being able to count on the player best positioned to win the Best Player title in Kylian Mbappé. He plays like a real magician and seems to be able to do everything on the pitch. Above all, it is difficult to stop, even if it sometimes seems like stopping time. And he’s well surrounded by supporting actors like Olivier Giroud, Ousmane Dembélé, Antoine Griezmann and Hugo Lloris. But we could name the whole team. Harry Kane is at the forefront of England’s spearhead and he is at the service of his team-mates as, despite his talent around goal, it is not he who leads his team in goals. The English also have a top-class defense. We’re telling you, it’s a duel between two top-flight opponents and it could turn out to be one of the best matches of the tournament. If you only want to watch part of the World Cup, we strongly recommend that you sit in front of your TV for that part.
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